CDU on public safety

The CDU wants to change state police law so that officers may also use bodycams inside private homes. Use in business premises is to be made easier. The platform justifies this with protecting officers and de-escalating situations.

Police officers sometimes wear small cameras on their bodies. These are called bodycams. The CDU wants to allow them inside homes too. Using them in shops and offices should become easier. The CDU says this protects officers from violence.

According to the platform, bodycams protect officers from violence and false accusations while also protecting citizens' civil liberties. The CDU wants to amend state police law for this purpose. It points out that the new police law in the state administrative act has already created legal certainty for officers. It says it will not tolerate attacks on the police and other emergency services.

The CDU wants to hire additional psychologists at the regional police headquarters. Officers should be able to process stressful operations and investigations faster and more easily.

Police officers often see terrible things. This is hard on body and mind. The CDU wants to hire more psychologists for the police. Officers should get help faster.

The platform describes the physical and mental strain of police work as high. Support from psychologists and chaplains is to be quick, comprehensive and easy to access. Debriefing and follow-up care after difficult operations are to be expanded. Round-the-clock duty is to grow further and be organized in a way that protects officers' health.

The CDU wants to keep modernizing the state police's technology, buildings and vehicle fleet. Search tools such as automatic license plate readers, dashcams and drones are to be used more. The water police are also to get new boats.

The CDU wants to equip the police better. They should get modern technology, buildings and vehicles. The police should use more drones and cameras. Devices should read license plates automatically. The water police should get new boats.

The modernization already under way is to continue, including climate-neutral mobility as long as it does not hinder fighting crime. Smartphones are to be rolled out across the force and a digital notebook introduced in the long run. An electronic service ID card and investment in police buildings and training facilities are also planned. The water police are to receive uniform coastal and patrol boats and be available around the clock in the North Sea and Baltic Sea.

The CDU wants to further improve the police pay structure and open up paths for promotion. More women are to reach leadership positions, and the police force is to reflect the diversity of society.

The CDU wants to make police jobs more attractive. Pay should get better. More women should become leaders. Leadership jobs should also be possible part-time. The police should be as diverse as society.

Pay improvements are to be extended to senior leadership posts in the higher service. Committed officers are to be able to move up into every career track, and leadership roles are to be possible part-time and through job sharing. The CDU wants to examine how training can become more attractive without losing quality. In the platform's view, applicants must stand firmly on constitutional ground; the CDU rejects blanket accusations of racism against the police. A campaign called "Schleswig-Holstein-Schleife" is to show solidarity with emergency personnel.

The CDU wants to keep hiring additional police officers and finish building up the second riot police unit. Police stations are to be reopened where this serves public safety. The police should be visible and reachable in towns and rural areas alike.

The CDU wants to hire more police officers. A second large police unit should be completed. Some police stations should open again. The police should be easy to see and reach everywhere.

The platform points to more than 750 new officers and reopened stations during the past legislative term. This course is to continue, and the standby police are to be strengthened. Stations are to offer longer consultation hours. The CDU also wants to keep checking whether the police can be relieved of tasks outside law enforcement so that more resources go to core duties.

The CDU wants to keep fighting home burglaries through police presence and higher clearance rates and to continue the burglary protection program. Older people are to be better protected from fraud. Local police prevention work is to grow.

The CDU wants to keep fighting home burglaries. The police should catch more offenders. Older people should be better protected from fraudsters. One example is the grandparent scam. The police should do more to stop crimes before they happen.

Digital evidence in burglary cases is to be analyzed more effectively. The CDU wants to further develop voice recognition software used to identify fraudsters. The state prevention council is to be more closely involved and offer municipalities security analyses for their own prevention strategies. Police, local authorities, schools and traffic safety groups are to work together more closely, with a legal basis for sharing data. The number of prevention officers is to rise step by step.

The CDU wants to create a "Cyber-Hundertschaft" (cyber unit) made up of IT specialists and specialized detectives. It is to pursue online crimes such as hate crime, fraud and attacks on companies and critical infrastructure. The police as a whole are also to work more digitally.

Many crimes now happen on the internet. The CDU wants to build a special police group for this. It is called the cyber unit. Computer experts and investigators work together there. The police should also use more artificial intelligence.

The plan includes interdisciplinary investigation teams with staff from IT, the humanities and the natural sciences, plus an expanded dual-study program. Legal conditions are to be created so online hate speech can be punished faster. A "digital patrol" is to make the police visible online. Also planned are a shared data platform, a data cloud, digital links with the justice system, and more automated processes and AI. The online police station and digital services for citizens are to be expanded.

The CDU wants to give the police new powers for the most serious crimes: covert online searches, interception of encrypted communication at the source, and data retention, each requiring a judge's order. Data protection rules are to be adjusted so crimes can be solved effectively.

The CDU wants to give the police new powers. Police should be allowed to search computers secretly. They should also be allowed to read encrypted messages. Connection data should be stored for a while. This should apply only to very serious crimes. A judge must agree first.

The platform argues that criminals use digital tools and the police need matching instruments, including for encrypted communication. It also mentions minimum storage periods, especially for fighting organized crime. Under the heading that data protection must not protect offenders, the CDU wants to adjust data protection rules while preserving their constitutional status. This is meant to help victims pursue their claims more effectively.

The CDU puts a focus on fighting human trafficking as well as biker gang, clan and drug crime. Money laundering is to be pursued more rigorously and criminally obtained assets confiscated. To combat sexual abuse of children, it wants to use more artificial intelligence.

The CDU wants to fight gangs and drug dealing harder. Human trafficking is part of this too. The state should take away money from crimes. The CDU also wants to protect children better from abuse. Computer programs should help review pictures and data.

The platform points to investigations in North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin that it says indicate many unreported cases. Strategies against the production and trade of all kinds of drugs are to be expanded. For child abuse, which the platform says is rising sharply especially online, AI is to analyze data and ease the burden on investigators. Support structures for affected children and teens and preventive services are to be strengthened.

The CDU wants to expand police custody for people considered a terrorist threat in order to prevent attacks. More video technology is to be used at places such as airports, train stations and shopping centers. It also wants to examine a statewide weapons ban at train stations.

The CDU wants to be able to hold dangerous people longer. It wants to prevent attacks this way. There should be more cameras at train stations and airports. The CDU is also looking at banning weapons at train stations. Cities should be able to set up weapon bans more easily.

The expanded custody is to stay within what the rule of law permits. The platform also names sports venues and parcel lockers as special risk locations for video technology; the aim is deterrence and better crime solving. On the weapons ban, the CDU also wants to examine which changes to state law are needed so municipalities can set up permanent weapon-free zones more easily.

The CDU wants to make criminal proceedings faster by making greater use of existing procedural options such as expedited proceedings. It is open to further reforms of criminal procedure law. Victim protection is to be expanded as a central part of justice policy.

The CDU wants criminal trials to go faster. Courts should handle simple cases quickly. The CDU is open to new rules for this. Victims of crime should get help more easily.

As an example, the platform cites expedited proceedings where the evidence is straightforward, supported by simplified taking of evidence or detention to secure the trial. For large investigations, such as white-collar crime, extra staffing is to be examined. In domestic violence cases, linking everyone involved in protection from violence is meant to shorten proceedings. Services such as those of the victim protection commissioner are to become better known and as unbureaucratic to access as possible.

The CDU wants to continue adding prison staff and keep promoting the reintegration of offenders. According to the platform, security and rehabilitation belong together. Psychiatric services and drug detection in prisons are to be expanded.

The CDU wants more staff in prisons. Prisoners should be able to live without crime after release. There should be good support for that. Prisons should have more drug-sniffing dogs. Help for people with mental illness should also grow.

New tasks in the prison system are to be created only with matching additional staff; recruitment is to target people with an immigrant background as well. A full inpatient psychiatric ward is to be set up at the Lübeck prison, for example. Support for released prisoners and the handover between institutions are to be improved. It should become possible more often to work off fines through community service.

The CDU wants to strengthen municipal public order services and expand them especially in towns that belong to a county. The state administrative act is to be amended for this. More video surveillance is to be used at crime hot spots such as train stations and transit stops.

Many cities have their own public order service. It keeps order when the police are not in charge. The CDU wants to strengthen these services. Smaller towns should have them too. There should be more cameras at train stations and stops.

The platform justifies the expansion with many people's worry about neglected public spaces and with experience from the coronavirus pandemic. Public order authorities are to be legally enabled to carry out their duties effectively and largely on their own. Together with the municipal associations, the CDU wants to develop a concept for the services' future and examine changes to the law. Video surveillance is also planned for underpasses and other places where people feel unsafe.

The CDU wants civil protection to be better equipped for crises such as storm surges, floods, wildfires, or power outages. Plans include a statewide siren network, digital alerts, and a new situation and competence center.

The CDU wants the state to be better prepared for disasters. There should be sirens everywhere in the state. There should also be warnings on phones. A new center should keep track of things during a crisis.

The platform refers to a 10-point plan for civil protection that is already underway and says funding and staff for it will continue. It calls for modern vehicles, a centrally organized siren network covering the whole state, and digital alerts. A new joint situation and competence center for crises and disasters is to be created. The public is to be better informed, prepared through drills, and encouraged to make its own provisions. The CDU wants to review and strengthen logistics, energy supply, and emergency power on an ongoing basis.

The CDU wants to help volunteer fire departments recruit new members and make volunteering more attractive. Training courses are to count as educational leave, and the state is to keep funding vehicles, fire stations, and the state fire academy.

Many fire departments cannot find enough new members. The CDU wants to make joining more attractive. People who train for the fire service should get educational leave for it. The state should pay for fire trucks and fire stations.

The platform calls for incentives to attract new members to fire departments and disaster response, and it wants to strengthen youth fire brigades. Training in these fields is to be recognized as educational leave. Joint purchasing of fire trucks is to continue, and the funding program for renovating fire stations is to be continued and expanded. The CDU wants to keep investing in the state fire academy. The buildup of water rescue services is to continue together with municipalities, fire departments, and aid organizations, with funding as needed.

The CDU wants hate crimes online and offline to be prosecuted more consistently and punished more severely. Religious institutions are to receive special protection, and the party also wants to combat hostility toward Islam.

The CDU wants tougher punishment for crimes driven by hate. This also applies to hate on the internet. Churches, synagogues, and mosques should be well protected. No one should be afraid to show their religion.

The platform regards attacks on religious people, buildings, and meeting places as attacks on the free democratic order. The CDU wants to secure the protection of religious institutions in consultation with the religious communities. Institutions and projects whose main purpose is to counter hate-motivated violence are to receive funding. Hostility toward Islam is to be addressed in dialogue with the Islamic religious communities and met with measures.

The CDU wants to give the state's Verfassungsschutz (domestic intelligence agency) more staff, modern technology, and new legal powers. It is to be allowed to search mobile devices and intercept communications at the source in order to detect extremists early.

The Verfassungsschutz is an agency that watches enemies of democracy. The CDU wants to give it more staff and better technology. It should be allowed to search phones. It should also be allowed to read messages. The CDU wants to change the law for this.

The platform calls the Verfassungsschutz an early warning system for the rule of law and supports early and comprehensive monitoring of dangerous individuals and groups. Searching mobile devices and intercepting telecommunications at the source are to be permitted by law. The CDU wants legal certainty for undercover investigators by broadening the legal basis for intelligence methods. The agency is also to be present online, especially on the darknet. Gaps in data sharing between the agency and the police are to be identified and closed.

The CDU wants to better coordinate prevention and deradicalization against right-wing and left-wing extremism and Islamism, and to strengthen exit programs. Groups monitored by the domestic intelligence agency are to be barred from public institutions and state funding.

The CDU wants to act against extremists. People should get help to leave extreme groups. The domestic intelligence agency watches some groups. These groups should get no money from the state.

The platform sees deradicalization as a task running from schools to prisons; coordination of prevention work is to be strengthened structurally. The CDU wants to expand exit programs after analyzing existing funding. Against Islamist extremism, it relies on civil society organizations and funded contact points that combine religious understanding with liberal values. The state is to cooperate on prevention on a lasting basis with Muslim associations that commit to the free democratic order.

The CDU wants to set up a contact point within the state police for local politicians who face threats. Crimes against them are to be prosecuted consistently. The platform justifies this with growing hate and aggression toward officeholders and municipal staff.

People in local politics often face hate and threats. The CDU wants to protect them better. The state police should get a special office for this. Crimes should be prosecuted.

The contact point is to be located within the state police. Together with municipalities, the CDU also wants to develop solutions and introduce preventive measures. Protection is meant for volunteer and full-time politicians as well as municipal administration staff. The platform condemns hate, incitement and aggression against these groups.

The CDU wants to introduce a uniform and binding procedure statewide to identify women at especially high risk early on. Killings of women because of their gender are also to be recorded in crime statistics according to fixed criteria.

Some women are killed because they are women. This is called femicide. The CDU wants to prevent such crimes. Authorities should spot women in danger early and protect them. The police should count these crimes separately in their statistics.

According to the platform, the legal basis for high-risk management already exists, and it is now to be applied statewide. Developments are to be reviewed continuously with partner organizations and the state police's criminological research unit. The platform names case conferences across institutions as a key tool. In the future, specialized women's organizations are to contribute their expertise to these conferences.

Victims of sexual or domestic violence can have evidence secured in a form that holds up in court without filing a police report. The CDU wants to make this service better known and available around the clock.

Victims of violence can have evidence secured. They do not have to go to the police for this. The CDU wants more people to know about it. The service should be reachable day and night. Victims should also be able to testify in a protected setting.

A broad information campaign on confidential evidence collection is planned. The service is to be reachable at any time, seven days a week, and a telemedicine option is to be examined. Traumatized victims are to be able to give testimony in a protected setting in a way that is usable in court.

The CDU considers the protection offered by the federal Prostituiertenschutzgesetz (Prostitute Protection Act) insufficient and wants it reviewed earlier. Illegal prostitution is to be fought harder, and prevention and exit programs are to be expanded.

The CDU wants to protect sex workers better. It says the federal law is not enough. The law should be reviewed earlier. Authorities should check the trade more often. There should be more help for people who want to leave.

The party wants to push for an earlier evaluation of the federal law. More frequent inspections of the trade and investigations into human trafficking are meant to counter illegal prostitution under degrading conditions. Young and pregnant women are to be better protected from prostitution. The state's prevention and exit programs are to grow.